Defiance

The World War II true story of the Belski brothers' fight against the German army features an amazing 1080p AVC encode. It contains superior detail in both close-ups and long shots as well as rich color saturation, especially the greenery of the Belarusian forest. Audio-wise, the disc has its moments, but there are only a few scenes that are demo-worthy, one of which I highlight below.

On a supply mission, the brothers make a grim discovery.

Chapter 6, 0:35:39

Detail, color

Look at the footprints in the gravel, the detail in the trampled grass, the razor-sharp background, and the different shades of green in the forest.

Zus (Liv Schreiber) hooks up.

Chapter 6, 0:43:35

Detail, color

Look at the vivid green background, the pores on Schreiber's face and neck, the individual freckles in his ear, the pattern in his fur coat, and the well-preserved film grain.

Oh no…they found us!

Chapter 16, 1:47:56

Detail, surround imaging, frequency response, dynamic range

Even with all hell breaking loose, the fine detail isn't lost in the mayhem. Look at the clarity in the bark on the trees, and the fog in the background is rock-solid without any banding or compression issues.

Listen to the panning from speaker to speaker and the frequency response from the whine of the airplanes to the rumble of explosions. Also, even though chaos reigns, the dialog remains clear and intelligible.